Hopper outlet valve structure



May 15, 1956 E. o. LUNDE HOPPER OUTLET VALVE STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed July 14, 1952 fin @2220):

May 1956 E. o. LUNDE HOPPER OUTLET VALVE STRUCTURE Filed July '14, 19522 Sheets-Sheet 2 a P. v 6 5 A v 3 fi m-l III IN VEN TOR. Z. 0 Z 81/70 6,

(57/5, fizfaaweg United States Patent O HOPPER OUTLET ALVE STRUCTUREEinar 0. Lunde, Wyckolf, N. 3., assignor to Magor Car Corporation, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 14, 1952, SerialNo. 298,855

4 Claims. (Cl. 105-307) This invention relates to a hopper outlet valvestructure.

The invention is more particularly concerned with a valve structure foroperative association with the lower or outlet end of a freight carhopper, and is adapted for retaining the contents of the car therewithinduring transit and for permitting regulated discharge of the contentstherefrom.

A primary object of the invention is a valve structure for the abovenoted purpose which includes manually operable means readily accessiblefrom a side of the car and wherein the manually operable means iscapable of being locked in inoperative position during transitof thecar.

A further object of the invention is the provision of seal attachingmeans for ascertaining whether or not unauthorized attempts have beenmade to operate the valve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hopper outletvalve structure including a cylindrical housing having a butterfly valverotatably supported therein, and screw and lever means operativelyassociated with the valve and which means is manually operable from aside of the car.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent inthe course of the following detailed description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1

Fig. 1 is a fragmental top plan view of the valve structure inaccordance with a preferred structural embodiment thereof.

Fig. 2 is a broken side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view in the plane of line 3-3on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a broken elevational view showing the assembly of the valvestructure with a freight car hopper.

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a top plan and side elevational views ofa bracket entering into the valve structure.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, ll) designates a cylindricalhousing to the upper end of which is secured a member 11 for receivingthe open end of a hopper H. The connection of housing 16 and member 11is preferably effected by means of bolts projecting through alignedapertures 12 and 13 in flanges 14 and 15 respectively, projectingradially from the housing and member.

A shaft 16 extends diametrically through the housing adjacent the lowerend thereof and is rotatably journalled in diametrically opposedportions of the wall of housing 10 as indicated at 17 and 18. The shaft16 is provided with a diametrical slot which extends axially of theshaft to points adjacent the bearings 17 and 18 as is clearly indicatedin Fig. 3.

A butterfly valve 26 extends through the slot 19 and has a diametricalportion disposed therein and the valve is retained in assembled relationwith the shaft 16 by means of a plurality of bolts 21.

The butterfly valve 20 comprises a pair of circular metallic plates 22between the margins of which is in- 2,745,360 Patented May 15,1956

terposed a rubber ring 23 which has sealing engagementwith the innerwall of housing 10 in the closed position of the valve and the ring isretained in position between the plates by means of screws or bolts 24extending through the plates.

The housing 10 is provided with a bottom cover 25 provided with a gasket26 sealingly engageable with the lower circular edge of the housing. Thecover is removably retained in position by a plurality of bolts 27 whoseupper ends are pivotally secured as at 28 between a pair of lugs 29projecting outwardly from housing 10 and the lower threaded ends of thebolts are swingable into a slotted opening in a bracket 30 secured tothe cover 25.

The valve carrying shaft 16 is operable by a shaft 31 which is disposedat right angles to shaft 16 and is rotatably journalled in a pair ofbearing members 32 and 33 which project from and are rigidly supportedby the housing 10 in a position whereby shaft 31 is disposed above shaft16 and adjacent the upper end of the-housing as is clearly apparent inFig. 2.

The forward end of shaft 31 is provided with a thread 34 which isoperatively engaged by a nut 35, the shaft being retained againstaxialmovement by means of flanges 36 engaging opposite ends of bearing member32. A

pair of arms 37 are disposed at opposite sides of shaft 31 and havecorresponding ends thereof pivoted n5 nut member as at 38.

The opposite ends of arms 37 are pivotally connected to the outer freeends of lugs 39 which are integral with and project outwardly from a hubmember 40 which is retained on the squared end 41 of shaft 16 by meansof a cotter 42..

From the above, it will be seen that upon rotation of shaft 31 in onedirection or the other the nut member 35 will be correspondingly movedaxially thereof and through the arms 37 and lugs 39 the shaft 16 will berotated and move the butterfly valve 2b into closed or open position.

The shaft '31 is provided with an operating handle 4-3 and the shaft isof sufiicient length that thehandle will be readily accessible at a sideof the car.

Means are provided to lock the shafts 16 and 31 against valve openingoperation during transit of the car and such means comprises a pair oflugs 44 projecting down- Wardly from the hub member ill and betweenwhich is pivoted as at 45 one end of a lock bolt 46. The oppositethreaded end of bolt 46 is swingable into and out of a slot 47 (Figs. 5and 6) in a bracket 48 which is rigidly secured to housing 10 by meansof suitable fasteners extending through apertures 49 in the bracket.

A flanged locking member 56 is supported on bolt 46 for movement axiallythereof and which when engaged with the bracket as shown in Fig. 2prevents the bolt from falling out of slot 47.

A nut 51 on the bolt locks same in position.

Means are associated with the valve operating means for detecting anyunauthorized tampering therewith and" such means preferably comprises adisk 52 rigid with shaft 31 and which is provided with a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed apertures 53 for successive alignment with anaperture 54 in a lug 55 projecting from the bearing member 33.

A seal of Well known form may be extended through aligned apertures 53,54.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specificembodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrative only, andnot restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in thesubjoined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. In a hopper outlet valve structure, a cylindrical housing, a hopperreceiving membersupported on the housing, a shaft extendingdiametricallythrough the housing-fa butterfly valve supported'by theshaft and cooperating with the inner wall of the cylindrical housing,.an operating shaft supported by the housing externally thereof andbeing disposed above and at rightangles to the first shaft,operativeconnections between the two shafts, said first shaft being providedwith'a diametrical slot of substantial extent axially thereof, saidbutterfly I valve extending through said slot, means securing said valveto said first shaft, said butterfly valve including a 1 pair of parallelspaced disk plates and a rubber ring sei hub'meinberya bolt having ahead pivotally connected to to thefirst shaft, operative connectionsbetween .the two.

shafts, said operative connections between the. two shafts comprising athread on the operating shaft, a nut cooperating with the thread, a hubmember secured to the first shaft and having a pair of lugs projectingtherefrom, a pair of links pivotally connected to the nut and the lugs,

locking means cooperating with said hub and thehousing, said lockingmeans comprising a slotted bracket sup ported by the housing, a pair oflugs depending from the said lugs, the bolt being swingable into and outof said slot, and means for retaining the bolt in said slot.

3. In a hopper outlet valve structure, a cylindrical housing, a shaftextending diametrically through said housing, a butterfly valvesupported by the shaft and cooperating with the inner wall of saidhousing, an operating shaft supported by the housing externally thereof,

operative connections'between said shafts, said first shaft beingprovided with a pair of lugs projecting radially therefrom, a bracketsupported by 'the housing and 'having an open ended 'slot therein, abolt'having a head pivotally connected to said lugs, the bolt beingswingable into and out of said slot, andsmeans for retaining the bolt insaid slot. Y

4. The structure according to. claim 3, wherein said means comprises aflanged locking member supported on said bolt for axial movementthereon, and a nut on the threaded. end of the bolt engageable with saidlocking member for retaining same in locking engagement with saidbracket. I References Cited in the fileof this patent I "UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,161,460 Doble d. Nov. 23, 1915 1,949,555 Woehle Mar. 6, 19341,951,283 KinZie et a1 Mar. 13, 1934 2,073,513 Dietrichson et al. Mar.9, 1937 2,105,343 Briggs Ian. 11, 1938 2,222,280 Batho Nov. 19, 1940.

